Cam operated and other types of quick release locking pins, without the nose arrangement of the invention have been used in the prior art to secure structural steel, machinery and the like to static structures, such as concrete or masonry walls, floors or the like. Such locking devices are described in a U.S. Patent to Pitzer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,192,820, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. This locking device includes a plurality of radially expansible bushings, fully described in a prior issued patent to Pitzer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,009,747, the disclosure in which is likewise incorporated herein by reference.
A number of problems have arisen in the use of these prior art locking pins when such pins are used in cam operated devices with spring clips such as the present invention. In the prior art device the position of the hexagonal locking nut on the threaded shaft had to be accurately registered with the hexagonal shaped socket in the face of the spring clip to permit a quick and facile locking of the clip to the nut on the end of the expansible pin shaft. When securing together two structures, via two accurately aligned holes; more specifically, the nut had to be adjusted to accurately align with one of six positions in the hex socket in the spring clip, i.e., if the nut were not within about 10.degree. of a 60.degree. position it would not accurately register with the hex socket and thus the locking pin could not be snapped shut, as required in the locked position of the device. Moreover, in the closed position of the locking device the locking nut must be maintained stationary at a particular point on the threaded shaft of the locking pin so that it would lie inside the hex socket of the spring clip. In use this nut is adjusted to provide varying tension or pre-load on the radially expansible split bushings.
Finally, the invention nose cone solves these problems and in additon facilitates insertion of the locking pin into prepared holes, such as when mounting structures such as rotary wing blades and stub wings onto helicopters. Such stub wings are useful as missile racks and for carrying auxiliary fuel tanks on such aircraft.